Square Enix boss calls the Wii a toy... again

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has once again likened the Wii to a toy, pointing the finger at Nintendo's emphasis on casual titles.

"... it is each manufacturer's responsibility to communicate with potential customers, and let them know which of them would make the best use of which function in each console," said Wada.

"In that context, Nintendo seems to place a great emphasis on Wii Sports and Fit rather than Zelda, a role-playing game. In my opinion, if they expose the functions in this way, they are making the Wii look like a toy."

Despite believing the Wii is seen as a toy, Wada is confident that the console can follow in the footsteps of the Nintendo DS and have successful titles for both hardcore and casual gamers.

"... we have to work out what kind of games we should create for Wii. For DS, Square Enix publishes both traditional games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and also more casual software. The DS is managing to get through to a really broad range of people at the moment, and I think the Wii can follow in its footsteps," said Wada.

Everyone knows that Square loves Sony and arent interested in supporting other consoles... why can't they just keep quiet... they aren't making any friends with these comments... I do agree about the wii being a toy.. I don't own nor planning to buy one... but I don't see the point on talking about other consoles when square is acting as a 1st party PS3 developers... in other words Square mind your own business and just keep making PS3 games... well at least one... focus and stop delaying the one game everyone is waiting for.

A very successful toy, but a toy none the less. Looking at the 2008 line up for the Wii in EGM, it was a cartoon characters and fluffy clouds! I'm not saying that's bad, if that's what you want, but from a more serious gamers stand point, I have trouble thinking of it being in the same field as the PS3 or 360. I've considered buying one just because it looks like a fun toy.

"The revolution "wii" is not made to compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo just found a way to get out of the gaming hardware war and make something like a toy for casuals and they might have success in that area."

It'd be easier to take news sites and blogs seriously if they weren't such hit whores.

Square Enix said Nintendo's marketing it like a toy by promoting Wii Sports, etc. instead of Zelda. This gives a public view of the console as a toy. Nowhere in the entire article did they call it a toy. In fact, he says his original statement was mis-interpreted: "That particular article interpreted what I said in a rather coarse way." So we don't have him calling it a toy, but rather clarifying sensationalist journalism and restating an opinion on marketing...

It's simple journalistic responsibility/integrity to make sure your headlines are accurate and not tabloid, no matter the ad revenue you might sacrifice.

In fact, he actually follows his statement with a criticism of sony for not following Nintendo's message to casuals: "Sony are not appealing to consumers with strong messages that say this kind of user (casual) can make use of PS3 in this particular way for this particular kind of fun. That, they are quite weak at."

It's very simple to prove me wrong. Just quote me where he says the Wii is a toy.

I'll even do it for you. This is the infamous quote: "...it is each manufacturer's responsibility to communicate with potential customers, and let them know which of them would make the best use of which function in each console." So manufactures need to tell customers what their product is aimed at.

Next "In that context, Nintendo seems to place a great emphasis on Wii Sports and Fit rather than Zelda, a role-playing game." So Nintendo tells customers that the Wii is aimed at casual games instead of hardcore like Zelda.

Next "In my opinion, if they expose the functions in this way, they are making the Wii look like a toy." If they do that, then the message to consumers is, in his opinion, toy-like functionality.

So Wada never even addresses the Wii as a system. He only talks about Nintendo's marketing. Sorry, the headline is wrong... again.

and expensive toy. Its $250 and can't even play dvds! I can't think of any one game or anything at all that would make me buy one but sure as hell other people are. More power to them, its a great dust collector!!

all consoles are TOYS they are played predominately like 60% by kids! lol Square just wants to make excuses for their own inept buisness practices and insight.....We make 60-70% of our profit in countries outside of japan...LETS continue to cater only to the japanese audiance!

don't know why everyone is playing so dumb. You all know exactly what Wadda was talking about when he said the Wii is establishing itself as a toy. He was referring to Wiisports being a series of minigames that serve as an excuse to swing the Wiimote. Simply put, he's saying there is a lack of support from Nintendo for meaningful, involving games on the Wii. The kind that SE ususally makes.

Dissconnected, one stop, minigames = Slinky, Echasketch, Lightbright, and when Wiisports is combined with the Wiimote, I can easily see what Wadda is talking about. There is no progression, no serious competition, no real purpose to these games, but "having fun". And while that's not a bad thing at all, that's what makes the Wii and Wiisports so easy to be looked at as a toy compared to other titles and consoles.

I personally didnt buy one for myself , but i still managed to buy 2 for my god children ( nintendo got me ) . I always thought that this is a console/whatever you want to call it . Its great but at the same time it looks like where going backward with there success. Funny he said his phone cost more than his ps3 . my sony ericcson is to thats why i thought it was great deal blu ray + gaming machine = awesome

i bet he calls the ds a toy too which is killing psp and square is making tons of money from that. so they need to relax especially with the trashing that wii is doing to both xbox 360 and that ps3 trash